John Lewis Phipps
Encyclopedia
John Lewis Phipps of Leighton House, Westbury, Wiltshire
, was a Brazil
merchant, briefly Conservative
MP for Westbury
(1868) and High Sheriff of Wiltshire
(1864).
He was the second son of Thomas Henry Hele Phipps (1777–1841), of Leighton House, Westbury, Wiltshire, and Mary Michael Joseph Leckonby (1777–1835). In 1837 he went into partnership with his brother, Charles Paul Phipps
, buying out the Brazilian coffee business of Heyworth Brothers. Despite a number of alarms, the business eventually flourished, becoming for a while one of the largest coffee exporters from Brazil
. Phipps was part-owner of a cargo of coffee shipped from Rio de Janeiro
in the Amy Warwick, a merchant vessel that was captured by Unionist forces on 10 July 1861, at the outset of the American Civil War
. The resulting legal case ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1862.
In 1868, Phipps was elected as the Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) for Westbury
, but the election result was declared void as a result of a petition brought by the unsuccessful Liberal Party
candidate, Mr Abraham Laverton
. Willes J held that, although Phipps himself was personally innocent of any corrupt practice, his agent, Harrop, had carried out acts of intimidation
on voters. Phipps had hoped that his son, Richard Leckonby Hothersall Phipps, would succeed him in the seat. His replacement instead by his brother, Charles Paul Phipps
, and (after a Liberal interlude, with the short-lived success of Laverton in 1874) by his nephew, Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
, added to family tensions arising from the conduct of the partnership's affairs.
In 1834, Phipps married Mary Anne Barney, by whom he had a son and three daughters. He died in 1870.
Westbury, Wiltshire
Westbury is a town and civil parish in the west of the English county of Wiltshire, most famous for the Westbury White Horse.-Name:The most likely origin of the West- in Westbury is simply that the town is near the western edge of the county of Wiltshire, the bounds of which have been much the same...
, was a Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
merchant, briefly Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for Westbury
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
(1868) and High Sheriff of Wiltshire
High Sheriff of Wiltshire
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Wiltshire.Until the 14th century the shrievalty was held ex officio by the castellans of Old Sarum.-To 1400:*1066: Edric*1067-1070: Philippe de Buckland*1085: Aiulphus the Sheriff*1070–1105: Edward of Salisbury...
(1864).
He was the second son of Thomas Henry Hele Phipps (1777–1841), of Leighton House, Westbury, Wiltshire, and Mary Michael Joseph Leckonby (1777–1835). In 1837 he went into partnership with his brother, Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was an English merchant in Brazil and later Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire .-Origins:...
, buying out the Brazilian coffee business of Heyworth Brothers. Despite a number of alarms, the business eventually flourished, becoming for a while one of the largest coffee exporters from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Phipps was part-owner of a cargo of coffee shipped from Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
in the Amy Warwick, a merchant vessel that was captured by Unionist forces on 10 July 1861, at the outset of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The resulting legal case ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1862.
In 1868, Phipps was elected as the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for Westbury
Westbury (UK Parliament constituency)
Westbury was a parliamentary constituency in Wiltshire from 1449 to 2010. It was represented in the House of Commons of England until 1707, and then in the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1707 to 1800, and finally in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801...
, but the election result was declared void as a result of a petition brought by the unsuccessful Liberal Party
Liberal Party (UK)
The Liberal Party was one of the two major political parties of the United Kingdom during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a third party of negligible importance throughout the latter half of the 20th Century, before merging with the Social Democratic Party in 1988 to form the present day...
candidate, Mr Abraham Laverton
Abraham Laverton
Abraham Laverton , of Westbury, Wiltshire, was a cloth mill owner, philanthropist, and Liberal member of parliament for the parliamentary borough of Westbury from 1874 to 1880.-Mill owner and philanthropist:...
. Willes J held that, although Phipps himself was personally innocent of any corrupt practice, his agent, Harrop, had carried out acts of intimidation
Intimidation
Intimidation is intentional behavior "which would cause a person of ordinary sensibilities" fear of injury or harm. It's not necessary to prove that the behavior was so violent as to cause terror or that the victim was actually frightened.Criminal threatening is the crime of intentionally or...
on voters. Phipps had hoped that his son, Richard Leckonby Hothersall Phipps, would succeed him in the seat. His replacement instead by his brother, Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps
Charles Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was an English merchant in Brazil and later Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire .-Origins:...
, and (after a Liberal interlude, with the short-lived success of Laverton in 1874) by his nephew, Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps
Charles Nicholas Paul Phipps , of Chalcot House, Westbury, Wiltshire, was a Brazil merchant, Conservative MP for Westbury and High Sheriff of Wiltshire ....
, added to family tensions arising from the conduct of the partnership's affairs.
In 1834, Phipps married Mary Anne Barney, by whom he had a son and three daughters. He died in 1870.
Sources
- Notes on the 'Westbury' Phipps Pedigrees by John C. Phipps (1983, unpublished)
- Papers of the Phipps Family of Chalcot (1574-1988) (Ref.540), Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office